The Social Archeology Channel

If only he could have been in two places at once. Instead, Martin Abrams of Mego Toys had a choice to make – bid for the rights to produce toys based on a film called Star Wars, or continue working to secure the rights to a toy called Microman with the Japanese company Takara. He chose the latter and, in hindsight, it proved to be a costly mistake. But if there was a bright side, it was that millions of kids got to experience a cool line of toy figures known as Micronauts. Continue reading...

Sitcoms based around a child are often faced with the daunting challenge of how to handle the inevitable aging of their star. Some absurdly try to hide the fact or even ignore it, but one particular show took a refreshingly new approach – let the kid grow up and follow him on his course into adulthood. As a result, Boy Meets World managed to remain both fresh and popular through its entire run. Continue reading...

While many cultures frown upon direct eye contact, it's long been seen as a symbol of honesty, integrity, even dominance, in the western world. Children are generally taught that it's rude to stare, but that hasn't stopped them from engaging in a time-honored childhood ritual known as the staring contest. Whether in a classroom, on a playground, or any other place children congregate, it takes neither strength nor wits, just pure concentration. Continue reading...

A culinary disappointment! A bona-fide flop! The Edsel of the beverage industry! No, these statements do not describe New Coke, but the dehydrated beverage known as Tang. Before its rise to fame, the orange slurry started its life in 1959 as a flop. But though the sales were meager, the company persevered, thanks to its easily-transportable (and preservative-laden) nature and eventual appeal to the space race fans of the sixties. Continue reading...

For arcade aficionados in the 80s, eager to earn their commando credentials, Operation Wolf offered you the opportunity to put your shooting skills to the test, as you faced formidable enemies and protected the innocent in this action-packed adventure game. Continue reading...

Few anticipated that a movie about a talking pig would bring in oodles of bacon at the box-office. But not only did Babe ham it up on the big screen and charm millions of moviegoers by being anything but a boar, the film also managed to get nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1995. Not a bad feat for a mere (though undeniably charming) swine. Continue reading...

In the fog of war, one cannot rely on a clear vision of the enemy. It takes careful planning of both a brave offense and a deceptive defense of misinformation and cunning strategy to keep the enemy off balance and ensure victory. But one needn’t go to West Point to learn the necessary skills for capturing an enemy flag. For kids of all ages, the preferred training was always a simple board game called Stratego. Continue reading...

The Saturday mornings of yesteryear were a nonstop cavalcade of kid-friendly entertainment, with every newtwork vying for the attention of young viewers. Sundays, on the other hand, were a vast wasteland by comparison, with one exception - a charming little show about morality called Davey and Goliath. If you weren't already in church, you were probably getting some life lessons from this iconic pair. Continue reading...